


sound a of promise turned red

by Not_really_obessed_fangirl14, shadow_of_the_guillotine



Category: Historical RPF, The Cousins' War Series - Philippa Gregory, The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (2016), The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character Analysis, Character Death, Edward x Warwick is canon change my mind, F/M, Gambling, Henry VI is my cinnamon bun, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I know nothing about gambling but I’ll pretend I do, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, The Author Regrets Nothing, Warwick has too much Matoba vibes, What Have I Done, blame the co-author not me, this is probably ooc but it’ll get better, warwick was the best character, where did the war of the roses fandom tag go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-01-13 15:31:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21157940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_really_obessed_fangirl14/pseuds/Not_really_obessed_fangirl14, https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_of_the_guillotine/pseuds/shadow_of_the_guillotine
Summary: [WAR OF THE ROSES MODERN AU]Love is never about being together with each other. Preferably, both of you achieve your goals, or else one has to step out of the way, so there’s always be one in hell watching the other obtain their position.To fulfill your ambition through gambling, losing your life or earning the chips to play the next game, the cards are laid down until there’s no chance of going back. To erase the past or write the future, all it takes is a cup of silver bullets.In the constant struggle for power, hate can turn into the strong alliances and love can be wielded as lethal degree of poison.Written by not_really_obessed_fangirl_14Edited by sukixkirai





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Charles: Charles VII
> 
> Margaret: Margaret of Anjou
> 
> Richard: Richard Neville the Kingmaker, the 16th Earl of Warwick

The second the cards reveal, the dice rolls against the table and lands on a square, the trigger pulled on a gun. The gears of fate all unravel within a second when the strategy or any previous moves don’t matter anymore, when all that’s left to decide is up to pure luck.

Richard waited for his plan to uncover itself in silence. He never considered his actions to be unjustifiable, but who he will met could change a slightly controversial concept into a crime. He knew he chose to walk past the point of no return, but he considered his goals to be completely virtuous in the terms of benefits for the future and the people of the country, or of the realms, if the term was to be addressed in an old-fashioned way.

The door creaked open, and Margaret’s heels clicked against the tiles as she entered. Nodding to Richard, she shook hands with Charles, and sat down, smoothing her dress and turned her head to the cards. She didn’t say anything except for some custom pleasantries, and Richard reminded herself that they were only working together for a common cause and that she still despised him. Of course she wouldn’t give in so easily and align herself on his side. He let himself feel a hint of satisfaction at how her first guess was a pattern, and how intently she seemed to be thinking. Maybe she was nothing more than an amateur, and not a particularly dangerous threat to him. But under the current situation, he hoped that she was at least somewhat experienced.

Richard shuffled the card swiftly, desperately trying to identify any patterns before the game begun. He glanced at Charles, knowing he had somehow cheated in this game before.

He won every game he played, a rather foolish thing to do do, even for riches or chips. This will make him lose his future profit. He deals cards exclusively made for blackjack, and spreads all the card to supposedly gamble with 3 cards, if this could even be called gambling. There has to be further proof. However, now’s not the appropriate time to idly judge him. How much should I win to be noticeable enough to lead the court, but not enough to degrade him utterly? He concluded his thoughts anxiously. Then his eyes met Margaret’s, and now he scoffed at Charles.

_How could I forget my ally? What a ridiculous mistake I’ve made,_ he reminded himself. However the gamble turned out ultimately, he could use Margaret as a safety net. But his apprehension increased as he scrutinized the cards. The cards were printed with an elegant and complex pattern. Something that could make many beginners lose their mind and insist stubbornly that the pattern had something unique, or in another word, unpredictable. A perfect opportunity to hide a signal, and a perfect distraction to waste someone’s attention on However, Richard knew that no matter how long they spent examining the pattern, they wouldn’t find any sort of sign, and was assured that the so called pattern was just an ordinary one, one that bore no relevance to whatever method his opponent employed. It must be something else, he acknowledged before he spoke.

“I’ll start with ten chips, each valued at a thousand pounds. However, if I win, you’ll pay twice the amount, but if under the conditions that I lose, I only have to pay you the amount bet. In return, you may take the first turn. Do you accept these terms?” he politely asked, sliding ten of the red chips onto the middle of the table without waiting for a response. It was an offer designed to tempt him. If he was really cheating, going first would secure his win even more, but it would also allow the other party an opportunity to figure out what exactly he was doing before their turn. In other words, if he managed to decipher Charles’ plan, and had a certain bit of luck, he had just as much of an advantage. He maintained a composed manner, but pronounced the words with an acid tone.

Charles seized the opportunity unhesitatingly and answered, “then I shall go first. Now, should we commence?”

Charles turned the card, making a loud flapping sound. Queen of Diamonds. _Why would he flap the card so hard? Even beginner won’t make a mistake like this, _Richard questioned. A highly probable theory crossed his mind. He purposely flipped the card hard, but it only emitted an unusually soft sound, almost quieter than it would have been if he had flipped it normally. Three of hearts.

_So this deck of card really is made just for blackjack. The bigger the number is, the heavier the card is. Quite a brilliant way to cheat. Furthermore, it only gives a slight but reasonable advantage. I could test this out more carefully and obtain a solid confirmation, but his schedule today only allows at most 2 games. How could I tell Margaret this and turn the role of the gambler to her? Even if she were to lose, she would still had a degree of influence through Somerset, but I’m not in a position to risk my chance._

Furthermore, how did Charles determine the weight of the card before he flipped it? No, it was almost confirmed that the cards didn’t have any pattern, neither in design nor arrangement. Nevermind how Charles had done it. It was possible to judge the weight of a card from only touching it slightly. As long as they were careful, they could determine the general range of the number their card had.

He concentrated on finding a way to communicate to Margaret without having Charles notice that they had picked up on his strategy. Meanwhile, Charles flipped two lighter cards for a higher chance of winning, and came up with a total of 20 . Richard purposely flipped two more light cards, and of course he lost, with more than three numbers lower than Charles.

“Sir, you are a skilled gambler,” Richard causally praised. “Here’s the check for what I lost.” As Richard was about to force Margaret to pay, she brushed him aside and stood up.

“Might you be able to spare some time for another round, sir? I’ll bet 20 red chips.”

Richard was about to inform Margaret of the cheat, but Margaret turned away and simply nodded. He could almost feel the rage in this nod. Charles gave both of them a look of surprise, but he eventually agreed, knowing that he stood a better chance, and rather eager to win some more.

Before Charles could object, Margaret directly stated that she would flip all her cards at once. As Richard predicted, she flipped a queen of hearts, judging from the noise the card made. Then, an eight of spades.

The air was tight, and everyone focused solely on card as if attempting to see through the surface, using their vision to burn through the paper. Richard glared at Margaret, but she betrayed no sign of emotion and didn’t seem to be even slightly nervous. An ace of spades. A wave of relief washed over Richard, followed immediately by mockery at how Charle’s heart had sunk. How terrified must he be feeling! Fear, one of the most lethal injections. Once it flowed into your veins, your loss was nearly definite.

Margaret’s card flip of 21 made Charles panic, he then kept on missing some tiny but major points to possibly achieve a 21, almost as if forgetting what he had done with the cards. He sulkily gave a check to her, and trudged out, grumbling to himself.

After Charles left the room, Margaret finally let her anger consume her, but still kept a calm voice.

“Richard, I know you wanted an impression of a gentleman. But I am not, and will never be a lady you can use then discard at your will. You wanted me to finish the gamble by using the trick that you had found, and that Charles had hidden well. Do not try to interrupt, I wouldn’t be making a claim if I could not provide evidence. However, I only assisted you this time since I need another man that could form an alliance with me in the government. Edmund Somerset is a reliable and easy to control tool, but he is slowly declining in influence. However, he can still indirectly justify or hide my actions of trying to demean Charles. To prove I am not just someone you can use without providing me any benefits, you will have to pay your own loss.” She slowly paced around the room, still keeping her eyes on him.

Richard had completely anticipated this, being part of the reason he originally never wanted to even be near Margaret except when going against her. She always kept to her own will, and refused to be placated by anyone’s soothing or temporary promises. Attempting to talk to her wouldn’t result in anything.

Richard held up Margaret’s hand and kissed it while kneeling. _This is a worthy deal. Using a comparably small sum of money to buy myself a position and an alliance. It’s even better that I had my plans fulfilled by another person._

“Of course I will, Margaret. Thank you for winning this round, and I look forward to our future partnership.”

“I hope that all your promises are true, and I will trust you, at least momentarily, and I will pardon you. However, if you commit the slightest action that in any way, opposes what we have decided upon, there will be serious consequences, and I will not treat this as lightly and let it pass, as I have done so today. Goodnight.” She swiftly picked up her belongings and walked out, the door softly shutting behind her.

Richard lingered for a bit longer, pondering to himself.

It didn’t matter if Margaret wanted equal rewards out of working with him. Once he succeeded, the outcome would far outweigh the cost. Margaret would soon see that he was her best chance after Somerset became obliterated from the political field. He absentmindedly flipped over a card Charles left behind. The area remained nearly silent as the card turned out to be a two of spades, and he smiled to himself before dropping it. It flew and landed on the floor with a faint thud, and he slowly paced out into the moist night air.


	2. What Edward is seeking

Hasting stared at Edward, panicking about Edward’s reaction. Edward give him an encouraging glance, but his eyes shown no sign of retreat. However, his hand gesture of gasping gives a symbol of obedience. Edward scoffs at Hasting with a look that you give to naïve child, “Don’t worry, I won’t act so ridiculously. Also, my motto is turn enemies to allies, not transforming ally to an enemy.”   
Edward was preparing himself again and again for York’s briefing with him today. He knows that Richard would use him to his full potential while keeping himself out of this. He always views me as a friend, who had the same motivation with him. He understands every material that made up our relationship, making it the details vivid and lively. It is just that he had forgotten what is my benefits.   
Edward pushed the wooden handle down, exclaiming that how this handle fits York’s personality. The wooden curve on the handle was decorated with embellishing pattern, and the colors are painted in a somewhat natural shade. On the door, a heavily portraited “Allies” was made with an old-fashion font that wouldn’t insult anyone’s predilection.   
York give me melancholy smile, and I tried to not return a sardonic scoff or mock at him. York automatically went into to the topic, which would not be the reaction of a man who had experienced irony.   
York glance at Edward with the sincerest glance he could manage. Maybe he is actually emotional connected to Edward. “Edward, had you heard about that Richard and Margaret? Richard’s title is the Kingmaker while Margaret’s title is the Queen, and they will seize the crown for themselves eventually if we don’t confiscate them or break their alliance. They will definitely replace us, and personally, I can accept this. I am an old and feeble man now; I won’t mind at all if he replaced me. However, you are so young and you have such a bright future in front of you. So, you should go and defend your position,” York reasoned with an anxious tone.  
Edward beamed at York and promised that, “York, I always knew that you trained me so well so I can become your successor, but I never knew that you had such big hope for me. You are not old at all, since you had a tender heart for our people. I would do destroy Richard and Margaret for your legacy.”   
Edward chuckled inside his heart due to his word, York said he is willing to retire; what a sarcastic joke. He thinks I will be brainwashed by him that easily. Maybe he is even expecting me to have some profound gratitude toward him since he believed that I was somehow “motivated” by him. I would never pursuit a dream that will be beneficial to others while it might harm myself. Why would York think he is special? But to be fair, he is a responsible consul and mentor of mine. But that is not enough for me to sell myself to him. I just need to take one key point out of his work: If Richard don’t obey, then he shall perish.   
Edward went on a hunt for Richard, and Edward knows he needs to target his prey everywhere. However, he also wants Richard as his ally. An ally without a claw. Richard is a treacherous enemy but also a valuable ally. He would peel off the pride of Richard as if he is peeling off his own shirt. Only a person who had forgotten their pride will obey. No matter what is Edward’s scheme, their fates are woven together now for a battle of power.


End file.
